Education reforms for North Carolina’s future

Tim Moore is the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Moore serves Cleveland County.

The North Carolina General Assembly is implementing meaningful public school reforms that are popular with parents and students because they focus on families’ shared priority of improving student achievement.

Changes already in effect include four consecutive teacher pay raises, an improved approach to state education funding, a successful Read to Achieve literacy program and expanded school choice for low-income families.

Today, the North Carolina legislature remains committed to fundamental education reforms through new initiatives to lower class sizes and provide assistance to struggling schools with an Innovative School District.

Our education leaders believe meaningful reforms – policies that empower students to work towards a successful future – are critical to accelerate classroom learning in our state’s public schools.

Higher Teacher and Principal Pay

Thanks to four consecutive pay raises for North Carolina teachers, the statewide average salary is $50,000 while starting teachers earn $35,000.

This year, we had the fastest growing teacher pay in the nation since 2014.

We enacted teacher bonus opportunities, reestablished the N.C. Teaching Fellows program and expanded the Teacher Assistant Tuition Reimbursement Program to recruit and retain our state’s best educators.

North Carolina’s principals and assistant principals will also see their salaries go up by 8.6% and 13.4%, respectively, over the next two years.

Better Budgets

Since 2011 the Republican-led North Carolina legislature has erased billions of dollars of debt and deficits and stored a record savings reserve to secure our state’s financial well-being.

With a balanced budget process in place, North Carolina increased education spending substantially this decade. We’ve invested more than a billion additional dollars into public schools, including tens of millions of additional dollars for textbooks and digital resources.

We’re working to streamline those additional tax dollars directly into classrooms and provide budget flexibility for local school systems to help meet their students’ needs.

More Options

With better compensated teachers and an improved budget process, North Carolina now has a platform to help more low-income families attend a school of their choice.

Through opportunity scholarships and increased education options like charter schools and virtual schools, North Carolina is building dynamic school systems with diverse choices for families who need them most.

These programs have strong bipartisan support in the General Assembly because they benefit parents and students, who have filled enrollment waiting lists for increasingly popular education options.

Lower Class Sizes

Today, the North Carolina legislature is working with local school systems to lower class sizes. Like most parents, we believe reducing student-teacher ratios is essential to education success.

The state legislature continues to help schools meet our shared goal of lowering class sizes by providing flexible funds, delaying implementation and reducing the initial impact of the new requirements this year.

Just as the North Carolina legislature is steadfast in our commitment to higher pay for educators, better budgets and choices for low-income students, we will continue working with local school systems to lower class sizes and help students be successful.

Innovative School District

Another example of North Carolina’s dedication to meaningful reform is the Innovative School District (ISD).

This program seeks to help schools that consistently rank near the bottom of the state in academic performance better serve students who are being denied our state’s promise of a quality education.

Like our commitment to higher teacher pay, better budgets, more education options and lower class sizes, Republican-led North Carolina is committed to meaningful reform for parents and students who attend struggling schools.

Prioritizing Success

To address systemic achievement gaps, improve low-performing schools and offer hope to kids who need it most, North Carolina is implementing fundamental reforms that make a meaningful impact on student success.

Our duty to help every student realize the full potential of a quality education demands a willingness to change and deliver that promise to young people.

As education leaders, we have a duty to pursue innovative policies like the Read to Achieve literacy program to improve performance and provide a path to success for all students.

About the author

Tim Moore is the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Moore serves Cleveland County.

Join the conversation

William Sorenson

Lies and spin. Teacher salaries, adjusted for inflation and loss of longevity compared to 2008. 5 Years exp. LOSE 4.6% 10 years LOSE 8.8% 15 years LOSE 5.8% 20 years LOSE 7.34% 25 years LOSE 9% and the 30 year teachers you aren’t even paying the same at 2008 levels, they are making 15.68% That is immoral and reveals a lack of character on the part of the entire GA.

Admin pay: Last year we ranked 50th in the nation and thanks to your bogus merit based system many principals would have lost money. Nice scam you got there.

Regarding class size reductions: UNFUNDED mandate causing schools to fire PE, Art, and Music teachers. We have an obesity epidemic but you folks kill PE programs by not funding the mandate. FACT

REgarding More at 4, you folks are funding only enough for a fraction of the kids that could benefit from it, even getting in. Another FAIL.

Inre School choice, vouchers that are sending predominately middle class white students to private schools is not improving education, it is segregating it. How many folks know that the state’s biggest private voucher recipient has a teacher that was convicted of embezzling tens of thousands of tax dollars, still on the payroll. Nice try.

Here’s the reality. The GA is funding over $600 per student LESS at the same time there are 8,000 FEWER teaching professionals in the classrooms and over 40,000 MORE students.

You and King Berger have helped make NC the Anti Education state and you can NOT dispute ANY of my facts. I dare you!
Bill Sorenson, Candidate for NC Senate and 26 year veteran teacher.